


Of Brothers and Sisters and Pebbles

by raiyana



Series: The Dwelf series [38]
Category: The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Baby Durins, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Gen, Protective Siblings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-22
Updated: 2019-12-22
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:20:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21905851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raiyana/pseuds/raiyana
Summary: Thorin has always played a large role in the lives of his nephews, right from the time they were pebbles
Relationships: Dís & Thorin Oakenshield, Fíli & Kíli & Thorin Oakenshield
Series: The Dwelf series [38]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/593011
Comments: 14
Kudos: 49
Collections: Durin Three, Have A Happy Hobbit Holiday 2019





	Of Brothers and Sisters and Pebbles

**Author's Note:**

  * For [czesuawa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/czesuawa/gifts).



> Amad = mum

“You’re… bearing?” Thorin could hardly believe his ears, staring at his sister, wee Fíli in her arms and her teeth in her lip, more nervous than the day she had announced her plans to marry. “Again?”

Dís’s eyes turned stormy, dark clouds that nevertheless promised rain.

“I mean…” Thorin tried, seeing the tears threatening in her eyes, “congratulations, sister-mine.” Holding his arms wide, Thorin worried for a moment that she would not accept the comfort, but then Dís threw herself against him, trembling with the tears she refused to shed before her son.

“Víli didn’t know,” she whispered, voice broken, “I was heading to the mines to tell them, when…”

Even Dís wasn’t stubborn enough to keep from weeping then, and Thorin’s heart broke for all of them – poor Víli the most – hoping that Dís’ love could see them from the Halls.

_I promise you, Víli, I will keep them safe… I swear._

He’d sworn that oath before, and he’d not failed it yet - and no matter how many nights he’d had to go hungry to keep Dís fed and happy, he refused to fail now.

“I’m sure they know,” he whispered, soothing, feeling Fíli’s small arms wrap around both their necks in a sleepy hug.

“I’ll call the pebble Kíli,” Dís added, drawing in a shaky breath as her tears stilled for the moment.

Thorin nodded. Víli had been over the moon when Dís had decided to name their firstborn for his sire-line, but they had been adamant that future pebbles be named for Dís’ own line.

“I’m sure Víli will be chuffed about that,” he soothed, half-reassurance, half gentle hum – silently relieved that she wouldn’t be naming the pebble for _him_ , after all. He squeezed her gently. Dís leaned into him, sagging in relief and Thorin realised she had expected him to be disappointed. “And we will too,” he added softly, “no matter their name, they are of Durin’s Line, sister, like their brother.”

“Mahal have mercy on us all,” Dís teased, trying for laughter though it fell a little short.

Thorin smiled at her. “If we could manage the three of us without knocking the house down, we can handle anything a pebble can throw at us.”

“I’ll remind you that you said that,” Dís replied drily.

“I mean it, dearest heart,” Thorin said, “Víli might be gone, but we will remember – and so will the little ones. This I do swear.”

“Oh, Thorin,” Dís said, and now she was weeping again, hiding her tears against his shoulder.

A few fell down his own cheeks, too.

* * *

“Uncle!” Kíli zoomed straight down the path, hollering his greeting at a volume that Thorin continued to be surprised could be produced by such small lungs, and vaulted at him, perfectly safe in the thought that Thorin would catch him.

Dropping the sack he carried, hoping that the crock of honey wouldn’t break, Thorin snatched the little one out of the air, joining Kíli’s loud laughter.

“Hello, wee rascal,” he rumbled, tickling the small belly. Kíli shrieked with laughter. Thorin knew the resultant deafness would pass in time, wincing as he settled Kíli on his hip and bent to pick up the sack, feeling for the hard curve of the honey jar and finding it thankfully whole.

Kíli babbled something that wasn’t quite sensible words, but Thorin nodded gravely, accepting the flow of syllables as a report on everyone’s well-being.

“And have you been good for your amad and Amadel?” he asked.

Kíli nodded fervently, snuggling against Thorin’s shoulder as he walked up towards the house, catching sight of Dís – apron dusted with promising flour – grinning at him, not-quite managing to hide a glimpse of sadness.

“I know how much you miss Víli,” Thorin whispered, bending to kiss her cheek, the widow’s braid in her beard never not startling – it was still _wrong_ to think of Dís being alone like that – “but I’m glad to be home.”

“All is well with axe and beard, brother,” Dís replied, but she squeezed his wrist gently, her eyes grateful that he knew her well enough to understand that she was not displeased with his homecoming – only with the fact that there would never be another homecoming for her. “And it’s hare pie for supper.”

“Pie!” Kíli added, grinning. His hair sported several pale streaks in evidence of his helping in the kitchen.

Thorin chuckled, knocking his forehead gently against Kíli’s. “Pie, indeed,” he smiled, handing a few of his burdens to Dís, groaning happily when he made it to his bedroom, dumping the heavy pack on his bed. “Now, where’s my other nephew?” he asked, setting Kíli down and watching him scamper off, following at a slightly more sedate pace as he rubbed his shoulders, working out the kinks as best he could.

“Did you bring us presents, uncle?” Fíli asked, deciphering Kíli’s babble with an ease that Thorin both envied and feared.

“You may have _one_ afore dinner,” he replied sternly, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small tin, shaking it with a rattling sound that put giant smiles on small faces. “But only one.”

Opening the lid, he held out the box, having learned from previous experience that handing over the whole tin would result in upset tummies and a frothing sister, both prospects he aimed to avoid, letting Fíli pick out one of the hard candies and Kíli another, smiling at the pleased looks on their faces as they sucked on the peppermint sweets.

“You spoil them,” Dís said fondly, stealing her own piece of candy over his shoulder.

“Not as much as I’d like,” Thorin said, “but enough.”

“Enough, aye,” Dís nodded, leaning her head against his shoulder for a moment as she looked at the boys. “I’m glad you’re back safe.”

“It was a long journey,” Thorin admitted, wrapping his arm around her shoulders for a reassuring squeeze, “but the work paid well enough – we’ll have to take care, but I think we should be able to make it through winter with food to spare by spring.”

Dís’ relief – too well did they both remember lean winters of the past, struggling for survival in this small settlement – was palpable in the heavy boneless way she leaned into his side, sighing.

“Good. Let’s go find you a bite to eat, brother,” she said, moving away, “you’ve earned it.”

**Author's Note:**

> This was a very quick pinch hit, but I'm quite happy with how it turned out :D


End file.
